1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the field of stringed musical instruments. More specifically, it pertains to devices for positioning and stabilizing a guitar or like instrument during playing.
2. Prior Art
Guitars and like instruments are often played while standing with the instrument in front of the player's torso. For definiteness, explicit reference to guitars used throughout this specification shall be understood to be guitars and like instruments. These instruments are almost universally supplied with two anchor points, one at each end of its body in a line generally parallel to the neck of the instrument.
Prior art devices for positioning and stabilizing a guitar generally consist of a single or double strap connected to the two anchor points that transfers most or all of the weight of the instrument to the shoulder of the hand used for fretting. The fretting hand is positioned along the entire length of the instrument neck while performing its function of clamping the strings of the instrument against the neck of the instrument, and is thus, generally considered to have a more demanding role than the other, the strumming, hand. Prior art devices also allow the instrument to slip around and flop away from the torso of the wearer. Thus the fretting hand is required to provide some of the support and most of the stability for the instrument.
Although these burdens to the shoulder, the arm, and the hand involved in fretting is fatiguing and impedes performance, it has generally been accepted as unavoidable.